The Story Of Johanna Mason
by FreestyleSwe
Summary: A Story about Johannas life- before, during and after the hunger games.
1. Chapter 1

Hello people! Lets begin with the fact that my first language isn't english, and the point of this FF is for me to expand my english vocabulary and my writing in english, and just generally get better at writing stories! So, whatever you think of this FF, please write why, and how i can do it better, because it will help me. Tell me why it's bad, or why it's good- what did i write wrongly? How's grammar? What do i need to train on? Every little thing will help me!

ALSO I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS/THE IDEA ETC.

THANKS :)

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**Prouloge**

Johanna woke up suddenly in her dark room, almost waking up her little sister. Her whole bed had been filled with an ocean of sweat during her nightmare-sleep. Johanna had been in this situation before; she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep again. This wasn't just a normal nightmare, one that everyone has ever once in a while. She didn't dream nightmares, she just relived dark memories. Which is so much worse. Johanna quickly checked her surroundings, a stupid habit that had been stuck with her after the games.

Johanna changed to a sweater and thick comfy pants to keep her warm- she was sweating during the night, but not because of the hot weather.

It isn't hot outside very often here in seven. It can warm during the summer, but it's not like you'll die. And even though Johanna had a quite tanned skin tone, it wasn't because she was in the sun very often, quite the opposite, actually. She was always spending her time under the trees. No, she got this from her mother. Her little sister, though, was pale white, with blonde hair. That she got from their mother.

Johanna stared out of the window- holding a hot cup of coffee to warm her hands. She was waiting for the sun to come up. The red, the orange. Johanna hates red. She hates how it reminds her of blood. But not the light red that shows itself just before the sunset. That tone of red, It makes her feel at peace, not for a long time, because soon the light red will turn darker, to stronger red, a stronger orange, that will later remind her, again. And she wonders why she does this to herself; every morning. She is killing herself, from the inside. Soon it will start to show on the outside to, in the form of dark blue circles under her eyes.

''Good morning, Jo'' her mother stepped into the room, breaking the silence.

''Morning, mom''.

Her mother sat down beside Johanna, wondering what to say to her daughter. What do you even say? Her mother felt like she was sitting beside a stranger. Exactly one year ago, she could predict everything Johanna would do beforehand. Now, It's like she doesn't know her anymore. Johanna had changed, everything about her had changed. Johanna had cuts and scars left- on her face, on her body, on her soul and on her brain. How do you talk to a person like that? Johanna had went through more traumatic experiences in a few week than she had her whole life. The point of being a parent is to explain about life to your kids, but how can she do that now?


	2. 2 The Reaping

Chapter 2, up! Thanks for reading :)

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Breathe, I thought to myself. Slowly. Slowly. The metallic colored woman above must've read it wrongly. ''Johanna Mason'' she repeated, screaming into the microphone this time. I slowly stepped forward, just staring at the ground.

I heard Klaudia (The metallic colored woman) let out a quiet ''Aaah!'' before she continued. ''Step forward, young lady. Come on, there's _no_ need to be shy!'' I looked at the big screen at my right and saw Klaudia waving at me to step forward. _Jeez,_ I thought _maybe I should go to her, so that she won't embarrass herself too much_ I sighed, and started to slowly walk past the kids around me.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a girl in the line at my right, who was a bit taller than, me stepped forward, and sneezed. Loudly. Her hands flew back, hitting my eyes. The girl turned around ''I'm so sorry'' she watched me ''please don't cry''. I hadn't realized I was crying yet, and I was getting my hands up to push the girl out of the way, and then I realized something and started rubbing my eyes instead. I started crying. Not really, but I thought, that maybe this could be an idea. I started screaming. I fell down and didn't stop.

I think I sat there for like five minutes, until some peacekeepers dragged me to Klaudia. The peacekeepers helped me stand on my feet, and then I walked up, my knees shaking. Klaudia smiled at me. She always ask the new tributes some questions before she goes for the other tribute, but this time she just squeezed my arm and went straight ahead with the other tribute. ''Cyprex Boleen''. Well, that's a very unique name, I thought. Anyone who is over eight knows exactly where he got that name from. It's just Cypress with an X. I bet his parents didn't think that one through.

I knew I was going to start laughing at his name if I thought about it longer- so instead I tried finding the guy. He would obviously be on the other side- the boys' side. I started searching for someone moving in the crowd, but no one. Suddenly, far away, someone started running towards the show. It was a boy, I could see that. But who the hell comes late for the Reaping?

Was that the guy? Honestly?

Klaudia repeated herself, when the boy had reached the crowd. I saw that before he stepped forward, he just stared at the ground at first, and then pulled himself together and marched up to us. I'm not even kidding. He was marching just like the peacekeepers do. Pathetic.

Klaudia started applauding when Cyprex came up. ''Seems like someone was late for his own party!" he answered with a smile. _Yeah. _I thought. _You'll even be late for your own death in the Hunger Games._

To show that they _at least_ have some mercy on our souls, they actually let us meet our closest before they send us to our death. I know, isn't it cute? I was pretty sure that no one would visit me, maybe my family. Turned out I was right, because only my family visited me. And we didn't even say anything to each other. Nothing, we just sat there, and my sister was crying. Before I went, I told her that I'd win. I promised her that I would win, and I would come back, and with the money make our lives much, _much_ better. She smiled.

"Just come back safe" I nodded. Of course.


	3. 3 Cyprex

The inside of the train surely is beautiful, but I just can't seem to get my eyes off the windows. It's the first time I've seen it- real nature. Not just woods, or stumps, but nature. Fields, flowers, the ocean, and it is beautiful.

The other tribute isn't as fascinated about the world outside as I am, but Cyprex surely loves the cookies and cakes that have been put on a plate out here for us. I'm not so keen on sweet things, so I'll let him have it all, just to be nice.

I hear the automatic door open behind me, and I see Klaudia come out, her outfit is still metallic colored- but different clothes. Instead of a short dress and long sleeved shirt, she has a long skirt and short sleeved shirt. I just don't get why they have to change clothes all the time? Do they get dirty that quickly, or is it forbidden to wear the same clothes for more than three hours straight?

I also stopped my act of being a vulnerable chicken just after we got onboard of this train. I don't even know myself why I did it, I'm a pretty messed up being as it is, now, just right after the whole act it feels like I didn't need to put that on my pile of 'crazy things Johanna have ever done in her life'.

"How's the food?" Klaudia asks Cyprex, but unfortunately he can't answer, his mouth is filled with something that looks like chocolate cake. I feel like punching him in the face. Cyprex just smiles, showing everything inside his mouth, and then nods. God dammit, Cyprex.

Klaudia turns to me, "you then?" I look at her strangely, and she points at the cookie in Cyprex hand (there were nothing left).

"Oh, yeah, haven't had any. I'm not very keen on sweet things". Klaudia nods. "They're filled with calories" I give her another strange look, "what?".

Klaudia opens her mouth, only to be rudely interrupted by a woman behind me. "Please don't fill her mind with useless information, Klay"

"I told you NOT to call me Klay, Tephrosia!" Klaudia shouts. I look behind me, and find her. My mentor, Tephrosia.

Tephrosia walks gracefully up to our two sofas, and sits down behind me, looking at Klaudia. "And I told YOU to call me Teph. Where's the cookies?"

I point at Cyprex. Teph nods, and take my hand to shake it. "Hello- you are Johanna, am I right?" I nod "I'm Tephrosia- and call me Teph, or I swear I'll find you a nickname you'll hate, and I'll call you that for the rest of your life".

"Doesn't seem so bad, I mean, the rest of my life might just be four weeks. I can do four weeks." Teph starts laughing at my response. "I like you! But.." She raises her eyebrows "You don't seem so vulnerable as you did on the reaping- what's your plan?"

I look around- Klaudia and Cyprex are staring at me. What should I do? Can I trust these people?

I look down at the floor. "Honestly? I don't have a plan. I just let everything out over there- I'm not so sure I'll be as natural and calm as I am in here out in the game… I'm afraid, Teph" I turn my head up, and stare at her with my now tear-filled eyes. I see that her eyes are shinier now, too, and she hugs me. Tightly. "Don't be. With my help, I'll prepare you so well, even you'll be able to win the hunger games".

Klaudia and Teph both walk away, leaving me alone with Cyprex, who also ordered more cookies, which he are eating right now. How doesn't he explode?

"So… What's up with your name?" I begin "It sounds like your parents just didn't feel like coming up with a new name, but they still wanted to be original, so why not Cyprex? No one will notice that we just changed like one letter.."

"It was my grandpas name" he interrupt me. Rude. "He loved Cypress' trees, only because of his name, which was Cyprex. He never saw the tree himself while he was alive, but he saw many drawings of it"

I shrug "So? Still a stupid name, it's just a tree"

"You don't understand" he says, a bit quieter, "it's to show him respect, to show his life respect"

That totally made me laugh. "Well, you'll show him tons of respect by dying, on national TV"

Cyprex starts shaking his head. "Exactly, but not really" he stands up, and takes the plate of cookies. "I will win the hunger games, and I will honor my grandfather. I've trained myself for this my whole life" he stares at me angrily (at this point I've got tears falling from my eyes and the only thing keeping me from laughing is the fact that I'm biting on my hand) and then he walks away.

It's late at night I realize how serious this is. That I actually could die. Even with my skills, I could die. I need to stop being so arrogant all the damn time, and maybe I'd make friends, or maybe even allies. I can't get killed because I promised her, I promised my little sister. I never break promises, so I'll win. But that would mean that I'd have to either kill Cyprex or wait for him to get killed. And I couldn't kill Cyprex, It's just not right. My whole district would hate me.

Oh, seven. I miss the smell of woods, and I miss how seven smelled right after it rained. How will it be in the capitol? Will there be any trees for me to lie down under? Sit upon? Or in the games? Because I'm sure as hell I'd die within a day if I didn't get trees or an axe to support me in there.

The sun starts rising, and I am woken up by Klaudia knocking at my door. ''Johanna? We will be at the Capitol in four hours, come and eat breakfast before you get ready''. I rise up, not really feeling very nice in my head. I feel tired, and sad and I don't even know why.

The dining room is really pretty. It's green and silver, to match our district, I'm guessing. Teph and Cyprex are already sitting at the table when me and Klaudia come in. I can see and feel that Teph and Cyprex really don't like each other all that much. But, there's food on the table and I'm hungry so I'll just forget about that. That's their problem, not mine, after all.

''So, Teph, when are you going to train us?'' I say when I'm finally done eating.

''Well, when we reach the capitol you'll get your first lesson. But, Klaudia and I have decided that I'll help you, Johanna, and Klaudia will help Cyprex. That way both of you will get as much help as the other tributes who have two mentors." Klaudia nods, and turns to Cyprex.

''It will be a pleasure to help you, Cyprex" Cyprex smiles at her, with his mouth filled with food "I am sure this time district 7 will have a new victor. It has been a while" Teph nods, and I do too. There sure was a while since district 7 won the games. Last girl was Teph, the woman before her died two years ago in a 'tragic fire'.


End file.
